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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. race — a contest
  4. bank — of a river
  5. last — final
  6. race — the arms race
  7. mine — for digging
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — to tire
  11. last — finally
  12. last — to go on
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bank — for money
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. race — humankind
  24. plane — in geometry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com